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Audio News for January 13, 2017

by Audiophile Audition | Jan 13, 2017 | Audio News

Things Alexa Cannot Yet Do – The shortfall of Alexa’s IFTT integration is the lack of any actions whatsoever. You cannot complete a task for have Alexa play a tune. You must divide every command into its own statement – no trying to get Alexa to do more than one thing at a time. There are currently no notifications, audio or visual. It would be nice if Alexa spoke the name of the person calling you, but no. Only three words wake Alexa devices: Alexa, Amazon or the name of the device – no customized wake words. There is no voice-memo function – you cannot leave messages for others in your household. Alexa does not distinguish different voices. If you have multiple Amazon devices around the house, you cannot speak to just one of them and Alexa will not stream the same music to all your Echo speakers, but you can with Google Home and Chromecast. “This Decade Belongs to Gustavo Dudamel and His Innovative Ways” is a statement by the author of an article Can Classical Music Survive With Shedding Its Obsessions with Purism? It came about due to the current musical film La La Land, which has swept […]

Audio News for December 9, 2016

by Audiophile Audition | Dec 9, 2016 | Audio News

The Guardian Top Classical Music Events of 2016 – 1. Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at the BBC Proms, 2. Enescu’s Oedipe opera/oratorio, 80 years after its premiere, 3. New conductor of the Birmingham Symphony, Grazinyte-Tyla, 4. Kevin Volans’ Fourth Piano Concerto, and his 12th String Quartet, 5. Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard performing Messiaen’s Catalogue d’Oiseaux outdoors, 6. The Stravinsky Series put on by the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Raumfeld Introduces Google Cast for Audio to its Speakers – The free update is for all current Raumfeld Wi-Fi speakers, and gives users access to over 100 new music apps, including Google Play Music, Spotify, Deezer, TIDAL, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, SoundCloud, Qobuz and Juke. A spokesman said this allows music lovers to discover new tunes, find old favorites, create their own playlists or try out playlists from others. A single device can be made part of different speaker groupings, and it’s even possible to combine Raumfeld speakers with other cast-enabled speakers. The various streaming services make it possible to listen to the perfect soundtracks for each location and mood. It works on either iOS or Android. The Raumfeld speakers are German-engineered and support digital files, […]

Audio News for Tuesday, November 8, 2016

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 8, 2016 | Audio News

75% of Japanese Want Hacker Protection for Devices – Japanese consumers are very concerned about hacker attacks on the smart electronics in their homes. Most want an automated update service that prevents unauthorized access to data in devices over the Net. Electronica Trend Index 2020 surveyed 7000 consumers in seven countries and the Japanese consumers were the most aware of the data risks associated with smart electronics. But many Japanese also see smart electronics as a way to reduce risk in many areas of their lives. 79% favor alert systems making it safe for older people to stay in their own homes longer. And 74% want a car that autonomously alerts police and reports its location when stolen. New Google Home is a Winner – It competes with Amazon’s Echo and may be a better deal, but the sound from it is terrible. It is a Wi-Fi speaker that reacts to voice commands like Echo, but with shocking accuracy. The vast Net knowledge of the search giant is part of its free Google Assistant app that comes with their Pixel smart phone. It is a personal and customized helper. It’s very small (smaller than the Echo), looking like a futuristic […]

Audio News for June 14, 2016

by Audiophile Audition | Jun 14, 2016 | Audio News

Pandora Adds Classical Music – Pandora has added classical music to the Music Genome Project, which places it ahead in this respect over other online music services. Pandora is known for its ability to figure out what listeners like based on a musical genetic code for each tune. Nowhere is a song’s musical genetic code more relevant to figuring out what you like than in the complexities of classically-composed music. Pandora Classical includes a collection of over 10,000 recordings by more than 500 composers spanning all classical music genres. In additions to their own stations based on one artist, listeners can listen to one movement in a piece and build a station recommending other similar music pieces by other artists. The founder of Pandora said “…we hope to make classical music more accessible and relevant to everyone.” Over a Million Monthly VR Users Now – The VR market, which didn’t exist less than six months ago, has been taken by Oculus, Samsung and others to a growing ecosystem of games and content. Seven of the top ten apps for Gear VR are video content, and nearly 80% of users watch video content with the device. The Oculus Home Gear VR […]

Oppo Universal 3D Blu-Ray Player BDP-105D  SRP: $1299

by Audiophile Audition | May 8, 2016 | Component Reviews

Oppo Universal 3D Blu-Ray Player BDP-105D SRP: $1299 Specs:  Firmware Version: BDP10X-38-1220 (Jan. 2, 2013)  Dimensions: 16.8” W x 12.2” D x 4.8” H Weight: 17.3 pounds  Voltage: 120/240 (for use anywhere in the world)  Passive Cooling (i.e., no fan)  Power Consumption: 55W, .5W (standby)  Warranty: 2 years  Rating: ***** Full Specs: https://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-105/blu-ray-BDP-105D-Overview.aspx Oppo Digital  2629 Terminal Blvd., Suite B  Mountain View, CA 9404  (650) 961-1118 (650) 961-1118  https://www.oppodigital.com ——————————————————————— Audiophile Audition has already published an excellent review of the Oppo 105 player. I will be reviewing the 105D version of the player. The main difference is the addition of the Darbee video enhancement chip and the USB asynchronous DAC. I will also give my opinions of the sound and video quality of the unit. For features and special abilities, you should read the above review or go to the Oppo web site above. Oppo is an audio company that has my highest regards. They always produce quality equipment at a very good price. I did my first Oppo review in 2007 on their DVD-970 DVD-based universal player. In some areas it out-performed players costing up thousands of dollars more. Its price was $149. Now you see Oppo players in systems of […]

Audio News for February 23, 2016

by Audiophile Audition | Feb 23, 2016 | Audio News

Corsair VOID Brings Surround to Gaming Audio on Top Platforms; Epson Moverio Smart Glasses Use OLED Technology; Its Own Streaming Video Service Could Help Apple; Does Google’s $35 Chromecast Audio Still Deliver?

Audio News for November 27, 2015

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 27, 2015 | Audio News

Futuristic Universal Remote; Tips On How to Improve Speaker Performance Without Buying New Speakers; Apple May include OLED Displays in iPone by 2018; Pandora Listeners Say Hello to Adele

Audio News for July 24, 2015

by John Sunier | Jul 24, 2015 | Audio News

Sony Brings Android TV & Hi-Res to Australia; Test of Hearing Hi-Res Improvement; Fringe Festival in Kansas City; Kickstarter Adapter Connects Chromecast to Any Stereo System

Audio News for June 16, 2015

by John Sunier | Jun 16, 2015 | Audio News

Apple Unveils 24-hour Streaming Service; Live Symphony Concerts Present Scores to Favorite Films; New Onkyo Home Theater Receivers; Special Movie Showings for Autistic Children

Audio News for May 15, 2015

by John Sunier | May 15, 2015 | Audio News

Onkyo AVRs Include Atmos, DTS:X and HDMI 2.0a; Potential for Wired Supplements to Wi-Fi; ManualsOnline Has Mobile-Friendly Website; Remaining RadioShack Stores Will Keep Their Name

Audio News for April 17, 2015

by John Sunier | Apr 17, 2015 | Audio News

Vizio Launches Soundbars and Stands; LG Introduces Wi-Fi Multiroom-Audio Products; Advantages of OLED Easy to See; Imports Recovering After West Coast Port Strike

Home Page for April 2015

by John Sunier | Apr 1, 2015 | Home Page

Born just four years before J.S. Bach George Philip Telemann has always suffered from comparisons with that towering figure of classical music. At the time though he was considered one of the greatest German composers, and he was highly productive – his total output compares well with Bach’s. One 1767 obituary merely stated ‘his name is his eulogy.’ This Brilliant Records set is the most comprehensive selection of his music ever released, consisting of 50 CDs with complete notes. To be eligible for this April drawing, you must register this month on our simple form. More details on the Editorial Page, plus the name of the winner of our March drawing for the Oppo headphones. On April firsts of some years we have done some music humor links. Here is a great list of the 10 Best Videos of classical music comedies and parodies in The Guardian. Have a look and listen!